Cyber crimes: NHRC issues notice to Tamil Nadu police

Chennai, Sept 9: National Human Rights Commission has issued notice to Tamil Nadu police on a complaint that non-registration of FIRs for cyber crimes "continues unabated" in the state.

NHRC "has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Government of Tamil Nadu, on a complaint that non-registration of First Information Report on complaints relating to cyber crimes, continues unabated" in the state, the Commission said in a release.

Non-registration of FIRs was on "inspite of a notice issued in this regard" by NHRC to the state DGP, it said, adding that he has been asked to submit a report within four weeks.

It said according to the complaint, non-registration of FIRs in cognizable offences, like cyber crimes, amounts to gross violation of human rights as it denies setting the law into motion.

"Instead of registering an FIR that will require them to investigate the case, the Tamil Nadu police is mostly giving acknowledgement under the Community Service Register that is meant for non-cognizable offences and that is why the number of registered cases pertaining to cyber crime is very low in the state," the release said.

The complainant alleged that despite a 69 per cent increase in cyber crime cases in India, the number of such cases in Tamil Nadu was low because "the culture of non-registration of cyber crime cases continues here".

The complainant had also attached a media report highlighting the relatively low registration of cyber crime cases in Tamil Nadu compared to other similarly populous states as per the National Crime Records Bureau data, it said.

"The media report also quoted police sources acknowledging that there are no dedicated teams or cyber labs in the state and that the cyber crime-related complaints are often registered under the Community Service Register," the release added.